Guard Sonia Citron has displayed an impressive performance as a WNBA rookie this season, much to the delight of those who are familiar with her from her time at Notre Dame.

“Soni is a silent killer,” expressed her college teammate, Cassandre Prosper. “This girl, you don’t see anything flashy about her outside of the court. She’s just very chill, very simple… She doesn’t get bothered by anything. And I think when you get to the league, you gotta have that steadiness and consistency.”

Sonia has been a dependable two-way player during her time with the Fighting Irish, concluding her college career with a record as the only player in school history to achieve 1,700 points, 700 rebounds, and 300 assists. Prosper’s remark on Sonia’s steadiness has certainly played a role in her success in the WNBA. Currently, she is averaging 15.3 points per game, with seven games exceeding the 20-point mark, and maintains an impressive shooting accuracy of 46.9% from the field, including 41.4% from three-point range. Earlier this month, she set a new rookie scoring record for the Mystics, previously held by Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw.

Notable Highlights

Citron was selected as the third overall pick but took some time for WNBA followers to acknowledge her excellence. Among her major supporters is Notre Dame guard KK Bransford, who recalls knowing Citron since their high school days.

“Soni is so underrated, in my opinion,” Bransford stated. “I thought she always was, even all the way back to USA. I mean, she was so underrated. She’s not a super flashy player. Honestly, since she’s been in the league she’s become a little bit more flashy. But in college we had such a talented roster throughout our years, or her years being there, so I think she kind of always knew her role, and she played her role really well.”

Citron’s potential was evident in college, but she did not always get the spotlight due to often being a secondary choice on a roster featuring players with more flamboyant offensive styles, including Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles.

“She always had that potential, but I think a lot of people never noticed her because she does all the little things,” remarked Bransford. “She does the little things that you don’t see on the stat sheet, and I think that it’s really paying off now in the WNBA because the WNBA is about the little things. We’ve always believed in her, so I’m just glad that the world has kind of seen what we saw as well.”

Citron is currently being considered as a top candidate for WNBA Rookie of the Year alongside her teammate Kiki Iriafen, with Dallas Wings player Paige Bueckers being the frontrunner for the accolade.